How To Jump On A Mountain Bike

Learning how to jump on a mountain bike is an important piece of knowledge to have. When you are cruising down a grade on a mountain trail, learning how to jump on a mountain bike becomes vital. Jumping on a mountain bike takes awareness and balance. Learning the mechanics of how to jump on a mountain bike may be the difference between a fun time or a horrible fall. The mechanics for learning to jump on a mountain bike are elementary. Jumping on a mountain bike is a logical progression of riding. This article will provide common sense mechanics to the process of learning to jump on a mountain bike.

What you will need for this:

• Mountain bike
• Bike riding gear
• Place to jump or things to jump
• Ability to ride a mountain bike

Learning how to jump on a mountain bike:

1. Check out your mountain bike to be sure it is in riding condition. Place on your gear, especially the helmet, if nothing else. Take a few moments to ride around and look for something to jump over.
2. The idea here is to teach you how to jump over objects that may be on your path. Use common sense; if the object is too large, go around or stop. Jumping on a mountain bike is much like any other bike.
3. As you approach the object, say a branch across your path, take to riding standing. Depending on the size of the branch, you can have two approaches. First, you can pull up on the handlebars and lift just the front tire, allowing your back tire to ride over the branch.
4. Otherwise, you will need to lift the rear tire as well. You can do this by pulling up on your feet as they grip the pedals. Much like a bunny hop, this will lift the back tire off the ground based on the momentum of the front tire.

Tips: 

Use common sense here. You cannot jump much of anything without technique and in some cases, an aid (like ramp).

This article refers to basic jumping over small objects in your path. This article is not for competitive jumps or tricks on a mountain bike.